There are a number of devices for implantation within the body of a patient to treat various conditions or disorders. A number of these devices are configured to be placed within a lumen wall. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,629 discloses a device for implantation within the esophagus to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Implantation of any device within a patient can trigger the patient's autoimmune response and cause an inflammatory response, or an infection to occur. Devices such as those referred to above have an even greater risk of infection because of the location into which they are implanted, a lumen wall. Lumen walls are often non-sterile and therefore, the incidence of infection can be increased. Furthermore, implanted devices, such as those referred to above, are generally designed to only address the structural defects or concerns associated with a disease or condition.
Therefore, there remains a need for implantable devices that can treat the structural defects or concerns of a disease or condition as well as the underlying biochemical and chemical causes or effects, and still mitigate the possibility of infection or inflammatory response.